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EXPLAINER ANALYSIS

Aligned Afrikaner men who claim Trump’s ear – the who’s who of SA’s ‘white plight delegations’

A motley crew of smiling white Afrikaner men, self-styled as “delegations” on a mission to charm US officials, are peddling a one-sided narrative of farm attacks and land expropriation, all while conveniently sidestepping the inconvenient truths of apartheid's legacy and the real socio-economic struggles facing South Africa today.
Aligned Afrikaner men who claim Trump’s ear – the who’s who of SA’s ‘white plight delegations’ Illustrative image | United States Capitol. (Photo: Unsplash) | The National Employers’ Association of South Africa’s Gerhard Papenfus; the Freedom Front Plus’ Corné Mulder; and the Southern African Agri Initiative’s Theo de Jager. (Photos: Supplied) | Logos. (Wikipedia)
Caryn Dolley
By Caryn Dolley
1 Jul 2025
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It has become something of a strange trend – photographs of smiling white Afrikaner men from South Africa, some who refer to themselves as “delegations” on “diplomatic missions,” standing in or near significant US buildings.

Accompanying the photographs, which are posted on social media, are words about US officials, farm murders and attacks in South Africa and land expropriation without compensation.

There is a characteristic lack of reference to many other issues deeply impacting South Africans – including how decades after black residents were forced from land, many still live in poorer areas that the apartheid government callously assigned to them.

In terms of farm attacks, which have contributed to the false idea of a “white genocide” in South Africa, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu announced in May that there were six murders linked to farms in this country in the first quarter of this year — and of those killed, five were black.

Back to the photographs of the Afrikaner men and their accompanying posts.

These have been surfacing on different social media accounts and websites, and so it may get confusing as to who exactly has been vying for influential US ears.

Similarities and connections

And such confusion is justifiable because the different Afrikaner groups and representatives who have been visiting the US are interlinked. 

Together the overall group involves an expansive mix, including a political party, an employers’ association, and an agriculture network, and has links to media platforms.

While the various groups making it up have different websites, and the individuals involved have separate social media accounts from which to publicise their messages, they have overlapping agendas.

In the latest on this front, a trio of Afrikaner group representatives last week, on 26 June 2025, issued a joint statement on their US visit which they said involved “senior White House officials”. 

Their visit, though, did not represent official state relations.

The group consisted of leaders from the Freedom Front Plus, the Southern African Agri Initiative (Saai), and the National Employers’ Association of South Africa (Neasa).

They ticked what have now become self-created Afrikaner “diplomatic mission” boxes – they called themselves a “delegation” and posted photographs of themselves in and outside US buildings.

It was claimed in their statement that US officials, who were not named, wanted certain conditions met so that relations between their country and South Africa could normalise.

The statement claimed the conditions included “the classification of farm attacks as a priority crime” and “no land expropriation without fair market compensation”.

Identical itineraries

These issues are roughly the same that have emerged in America from a very particular stance – that of disgruntled white Afrikaners from South Africa who do not publicly acknowledge the irreparable harm the racist pro-white apartheid regime inflicted on black people in this country.

Such warped and one-sided views appear to have contributed to US President Donald Trump in February signing an executive order cutting off aid to this country and offering refugee status to Afrikaners “who are victims of unjust racial discrimination”.

The order also claimed the expropriation law was “to enable the government of South Africa to seize ethnic minority Afrikaners’ agricultural property without compensation”. 

Read more: Ramaphosa in resolve-and-reset mode on SA-US ties despite Trump’s white Afrikaner genocide claims

In reaction at the time, the South African government had hit back, saying: “It is of great concern that the foundational premise of this order lacks factual accuracy and fails to recognize South Africa's profound and painful history of colonialism and apartheid.

“We are concerned by what seems to be a campaign of misinformation and propaganda aimed at misrepresenting our great nation.”

Echo chamber?

Last month, President Cyril Ramaphosa travelled to the US to meet Trump to “focus specifically on reframing bilateral, economic and commercial relations.”

The joint Afrikaner group who publicised their US trip last week have therefore gone to that country after Ramaphosa’s official South African state visit.

They appear to be meddling in foreign affairs – or they seem to be trying to create the impression that they are stoking this arena, via promoting the same or similar messaging their counterparts who previously visited America have.

This suggests that they are adding their voices to an echo chamber.

This is a breakdown of the main interconnected Afrikaner groups that have been to the US:

AfriForum 

It describes itself as “a non-profit civil rights organisation” established in March 2006 and headed by Kallie Kriel. 

Its website says: “The organisation was created to call up Afrikaners to participate in public debate and actions outside of the sphere of party politics.”

In 2018 Kriel visited The Heritage Foundation, a think-tank described on its website as “America’s powerhouse of conservative ideas” which Trump’s administration appears to strongly draw from. 

Kriel had posted on X that he and an associate had spent about two hours with a senior delegation from the foundation and discussed issues including expropriation without compensation and farm killings. 

About three months later, Trump had stated on X that he asked the Secretary of State to “closely study the South Africa land and farm seizures and expropriations and the large scale killing of farmers”.

In February this year, Kriel and others were again in the US. 

This time he posted on X that they had spent the day meeting with “senior members of the House of Representatives’ committee on foreign affairs”.

Freedom Front Plus

A political party, with roots stretching back to around 1994, when South Africa became a democracy. Corné Mulder heads it. 

Its website says: “The Freedom Front Plus is committed to group rights, against affirmative action and towards a better SA for all.”

Another section of its website focuses on Afrikaners.

It explains: “The Freedom Front Plus is irrevocably committed to the realisation of communities’, in particular the Afrikaner’s, internationally recognised right to self-determination, territorial or otherwise; the maintenance, protection and promotion of their rights and interests; as well as the promotion of the right of self-determination of any other community, bound by a common language and cultural heritage in South Africa.”

Together with the head of Saai and of Neasa, Mulder was in the US in June 2025.

National Employers’ Association of South Africa (Neasa)

An employers’ association established in 1996 under the guidance of Gerhard Papenfus, who still heads it. 

Its website says: “As a pioneering employers’ association and a major player in collective bargaining, Neasa is a staunch defender of employers’ rights, actively engaging in forums, including Parliament and the media.” 

A simpler description on its X account describes at as “the leading advocate of employers’ interests in #SouthAfrica, supporting a prosperous economy for all”.

Neasa’s vast management team appears to consist of mostly white individuals.

Neasa, AfriForum and Saai see eye-to-eye, especially when it comes to issues like rural safety.

In 2023 it was announced they were among various groups who “pledged to work more closely together to form a united front against rural crime”.

Papenfus visited the US in June 2025, along with the heads of Saai and the Freedom Front Plus.

Southern African Agri Initiative (Saai)

A network and organisation focused on agriculture interests headed by Theo de Jager. 

Its website says it “was established by farmers for farmers and that is committed to protecting and promoting the rights, values, ideals and needs of the family farmers in the primary production sector…

“A family farmer is not old or young, big or small, white or black, poor or rich. A family farmer is a member or members of a family (including those employed by this family) who own or manage an agricultural business.”

Last year Saai and AfriForum announced that they wanted the international police organisation Interpol to crack down on stock theft between South Africa and Lesotha. 

De Jager was part of the US visit with the heads of Neasa and the Freedom Front Plus in June 2025.

Solidarity 

A trade union with roots apparently dating back to 1902 and headed by Dirk Hermann.  

Its website says: “Solidarity’s goal is that everyone who wants to work, must be able to work well and reach their full potential.” (The page on which its “goal” is detailed happens to show only people who appear to be white.) 

Another part of the site says: “Solidarity members, through their monthly payment of membership fees, can enjoy a range of benefits. Solidarity’s offer is subject to terms and conditions.”

It has various campaigns one can get involved in, like taking on the ANC and racial laws.

Solidarity says this is because: “We want to ensure that Afrikaners can live and work freely, safely and prosperously in South Africa.”

Earlier this year, Solidarity representatives visited the White House with AfriForum and Solidarity Movement counterparts.

Solidarity Movement 

Flip Buys chairs this umbrella body, consisting of various organisations, and which has origins dating back to 1998. 

It includes Solidarity, AfriForum, which is described as its civil rights wing, the Federasie van Afrikaanse Kultuurvereniginge, and online news publication Maroela Media. 

Its two “independent partners,” according to its website, are Saai and Pretoria FM. 

Its website says: “The Solidarity Movement is a family of community organisations with more than 500 000 members who, together with their families, represent around two million people. 

“It is an Afrikaans, Afrikaner and South African network of self-help organisations. Our foundation is Christian-Democratic, and we strive for mutual recognition of, and respect between race groups. We reject leftist and rightist extremism.” 

Solidarity Movement representatives visited the US earlier this year.

Daily Maverick reported in February that the Solidarity Movement had also stated that “during the past few years, the movement has been in contact with various US politicians to ensure that South Africa’s relations with the US do not run aground”.

At that stage, the Solidarity Movement also planned to spread its stance on South Africa in Europe – representatives had planned to visit places including Germany, Italy, France and the Netherlands. DM

Comments (8)

Gary Crawford-Scott Jul 1, 2025, 10:14 PM

So the ANC’s upset that white Afrikaners are freelancing foreign policy now? Sorry, comrades — if you’d fixed land reform, rural crime, and national dignity in 30 years, we wouldn’t need a parallel diplomacy circus. This isn’t treason. It’s just what happens when the official channels stop working. As for the “white genocide” claims — ridiculous, yes — but the ANC calling anyone else a propagandist is rich. South Africa’s in trouble. And both sides are fiddling in DC while the country burns.

Pieter van de Venter Jul 2, 2025, 12:37 PM

Remember what is propaganda - Tell a big lie often enough that it becomes the truth. Like the ANC angle that 41,000 white farmers own 80% of the land. That is a BIG lie. A farmer and his workers stand 5 times the chance to be murdered compared to a policeman. Maybe not genocide but an enormous percentage. And, it is farmers/workers - not White farmers/workers.

Johan Buys Jul 2, 2025, 07:23 AM

Politicians : don’t expect many calluses on those pampered little hands

Martin Neethling Jul 2, 2025, 08:47 AM

Why the US being exposed to counter-veiling narratives to those offered by Ramaphosa, Tau and others is a problem is anyone’s guess. The ANC are hardly known for honestly, and under Pandor whatever diplomatic muscle SA exerted on the global stage was squandered through its confused international relations actions. As the ANC did during the exile years, these Afrikaners are talking to whoever will listen. Certainly Ramaphosa isn’t.

Pieter van de Venter Jul 2, 2025, 12:34 PM

Caryn, I am sorry to tell you, your story is that of the ANC. During the Stratcom time, there were people like Joe Biden that claimed to have been arrested in JNB. There were BBC "journalist" that reported that the dril team and the target shooting team are trained by the government from a young age to shoot and kill blacks. That is the true story behing selling your perspectivee. I am sure if were ol enough in the previous century, you would have similar stories and sold the ANC heaven.

Pieter van de Venter Jul 2, 2025, 12:52 PM

"Neasa’s vast management team appears to consist of mostly white individuals." Just like Black Business Forum, Black Farmers Association, Black Lawyers Association, The National Association of Black Journalists, etc - what is your point. Because they are white, they are ....... ? In a country where there are numerous (apparently 200+) pieces of laws to protect 90% of the population in with race quotas, AA, BEE, BELA, etc. Now you complain when 10% try to lobby for their rights?

John Strydom Jul 2, 2025, 01:32 PM

Ms Dolley, Here is Saai's view, as quoted by you: "A family farmer is not old or young, big or small, white or black, poor or rich." So what's wrong with emphasising that? Your only counter seems to be that black people suffered extreme discrimination under Apartheid. True, but has the time not come to look at the PRESENT issue? Farmers, black or white, feel under particular threat, so why not investigate this matter and do the best we can if we find they need special protection?

Beverley Roos-Muller Jul 2, 2025, 03:27 PM

In 1994, the ANC generously forgave white nationalists the brutality of apartheid - including but not limited to Vlakplaas - and agreed to whites retaining their generational wealth and land. What is the result? The supremacy of white privilege. Whites are still the wealthiest group in SA, the least likely to be killed or injured, own more land than any other group, and the least likely to be unemployed. Also, it takes more than 30 years to undo centuries of injustice. Shamelessly selfish.

Wilhelm van Rooyen Jul 2, 2025, 06:27 PM

So Beverley, if the people referenced en the article are "shamelessly selfish" because they want to protect their group's interests in a country that is being absolutely ruined by the majority, what would you consider appropriate conduct under the circumstances?

Lucius Casca Jul 3, 2025, 08:56 AM

The ANC is not going to pay you for writing this flattering rubbish comment Beverley...I suggest instead of preaching about how wealthy whites are, take action, and distribute your personal wealth immediately to qualifying candidates. Please send us confirmation once done. Thank you

Michael Haines Jul 4, 2025, 12:36 PM

DM should not keep referring to the many "ills of the past" - apartheid, colonialism etc. It is negative and detracts from the URGENT solutions required to remove the massive blockade presented by the antiquated ANC racist bureaucracy. We MUST get international investment soon to get growth up to 3% + or face insurrection led by the jobless millions. So, if our Afrikaners can do what Cyril and his internationally scoffed at cadres can't - halleluiah.